Anna January 2024 Update
Happy New Year!
This is Anna, from In Search of Everywhere. Before we get too far into the new year and dive into 2024, I figured I’d share what I’ve been up to for the second half of 2023, since I set up this blog back in July.
British summer
I spent July and August in the UK. It sounds like a very chill time, but I did a lot. Lou and I volunteered at three festivals – Boardmasters, Wilderness and Reading – plus we went on a family holiday to Cornwall.
I always adore a British summer, and those memories of wandering down back lanes to the pub; having picnics in the park; and sitting in the garden with a book…
Unfortunately, any Brit will tell you that the summer of 2023 was a washout. I came home from the Philippines in mid-June, in time for one week of perfect weather. Then, by the time July rolled around, it started raining and didn’t seem to stop.
Now, I’m used to constant drizzle and clouds. But did it have to rain through all three festivals? Really?!
Autumn travels in South-East Asia
Lou and I came back from Reading Festival on Monday 28 August. Then, on 30 August, we flew to Singapore to start what would be almost four months of travel through South-East Asia.
Why South-East Asia? Lou always had Indonesia as her #1 must-visit destination, so it was always on the cards. However, the earliest iteration of our plan for the year was to fly from Indonesia down to Australia and New Zealand, not go up.
We decided though that we’d rather visit Vietnam. This was motivated by a few factors: it’s a LOT cheaper than Oceania; it’s more culturally different to those countries too. Also, I have to admit I was partially motivated by the Netflix film, A Tourist’s Guide to Love, which is set on a tour through Vietnam. I saw those pretty shots and was inspired!
Therefore, our trip became a few days in Singapore, followed by Indonesia: East Java, Bali, Lombok, and the Komodo Islands. We then flew to Hanoi to spend six weeks exploring Vietnam from north to south, taking in all the main sights along the way.
In Vietnam we also spent two weeks volunteering at an English-speaking café which locals could visit to practise their English – a fun experience!
After Vietnam, we headed into Cambodia and visited Angkor Wat. We travelled to Bangkok, in Thailand, where Lou flew home. Earlier in our trip I had decided to stay on for three weeks by myself – as I’d never solo travelled before, it was quite a different experience, but if there’s anywhere to do it in, it has to be Thailand!
I therefore headed up to North Thailand for a week, then back down to South Thailand for ten days, before flying home from Bangkok right before Christmas.
What’s in store for 2024?
That brings us up to date with my life and travels!
2024 promises to be an interesting year, although I’m not sure what could top 2023 in terms of new experiences and environments. I’m craving a bit of stability so I will be searching for a new job. It’ll be interesting to see what’s in store.
As for travels, I’m planning to visit Amsterdam at the end of February for a concert. I’ll also be heading up to Northumberland for a weekend in March. I don’t have plans for any more significant trips out of the UK, but you never know!
Conclusion
So that’s me done. 2024 looks to be an exciting year full of changes, but hopefully they’ll be mostly good ones.
In the meantime, I’ll be updating In Search of Everywhere. Throughout my last travels I was writing articles and keeping notes, which I’ll be turning into full posts on this website – so keep an eye out!
Have a great 2024 and I’ll see you soon 🙂
